‘And his tail draws the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.'
In Daniel 8:10 it was said of Antiochus Epiphanes, a ruler of Syria in 2nd century BC, that ‘some of the host of heaven and of the stars he cast down to the ground and trampled on them' which represented ‘destroying the mighty ones' (Daniel 8:24). This was a vivid way of describing his treatment of the religions of other nations and their god-kings.
But Satan is revealed as the great destroyer to an even greater extent (compare ) although only with a view to stressing the general judgment (Jeremiah 14:1 to Jeremiah 17:4). The passage then closes with general explanations of what is at the root of the problem, and lays out cursings and blessings and demonstrates the way by which punishment might be avoided by a full response to the covenant as evidenced by observing the Sabbath (Jeremiah 17:5-27).
6. ‘The word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH --' (Jeremiah 18:1). Chapter s 18-19 then contain two oracles from God illustrated in terms of the Potter and his handiwork, which bring out on the one hand God's willingness to offer mercy, and on the other the judgment that is about to come on Judah because of their continuance in sin and their refusal to respond to that offer. The consequence of this for Jeremiah, in chapter 20, is severe persecution, including physical blows and harsh imprisonment. This results in him complaining to YHWH in his distress, and cursing the day of his birth.
7. ‘The word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH --' (Jeremiah 21:1). This subsection, which is a kind of appendix to what has gone before, finally confirming the hopelessness of Jerusalem's situation under Zedekiah. In response to an appeal from King Zedekiah concerning Judah's hopes for the future Jeremiah warns that it is YHWH's purpose that Judah be subject to Babylon (Jeremiah 21:1-10). Meanwhile, having sent out a general call to the house of David to rule righteously and deal with oppression, he has stressed that no hope was to be nurtured of the restoration of either Shallum, the son of Josiah who had been carried off to Egypt, nor of Jehoiachin (Coniah), the son of Jehoiakim who had been carried off to Babylon. In fact no direct heir of Jehoiachin would sit upon the throne. And the reason that this was so was because all the current sons of David had refused to respond to his call to rule with justice and to stamp down on oppression. What had been required was to put right what was wrong in Judah, and reign in accordance with the requirements of the covenant. In this had lain any hope for the continuation of the Davidic monarchy. But because they had refused to do so only judgment could await them. Note in all this the emphasis on the monarchy as ‘sons of David' (Jeremiah 21:12; Jeremiah 22:2-3). This is preparatory to the mention of the coming glorious son of David Who would one day come and reign in righteousness (Jeremiah 23:3-8).
Jeremiah then heartily castigates the false shepherds of Judah who have brought Judah to the position that they are in and explains that for the present Judah's sinful condition is such that all that they can expect is everlasting reproach and shame (Jeremiah 23:9 ff). The subsection then closes (chapter 24) with the parable of the good and bad figs, the good representing the righteous remnant in exile who will one day return, the bad the people who have been left in Judah to await sword, pestilence, famine and exile.
8. ‘The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah --' (Jeremiah 25:1). This subsection contains Jeremiah's own summary, given to the people in a sermon, describing what has gone before during the previous twenty three years of his ministry. It is also in preparation for what is to follow. He warns them that because they have not listened to YHWH's voice the land must suffer for ‘seventy years' in subjection to Babylon, and goes on to bring out that YHWH's wrath will subsequently be visited on Babylon, and not only on them, but on ‘the whole world'. For YHWH will be dealing with the nations in judgment, something which will be expanded on in Chapter s 46-51. There is at this stage no mention of restoration, (except as hinted at in the seventy year limit to Babylon's supremacy), and the chapter closes with a picture of the final desolation which is to come on Judah as a consequence of YHWH's anger.
While the opening phrase ‘the word that came from YHWH to Jeremiah' will appear again in Jeremiah 30:1; Jeremiah 32:1; Jeremiah 34:8; Jeremiah 35:1; Jeremiah 40:1 it will only be after the sequence has been broken by other introductory phrases which link the word of YHWH with the activities of a particular king (e.g. Jeremiah 25:1; Jeremiah 26:1; Jeremiah 27:1; Revelation 19:15; Psalms 2:9). is the one who is caught up to God and to His throne, and no one shares the Father's throne except the Son (Revelation 3:21).
Some have questioned this identification on the grounds that the description of the male child's career is expressed too briefly and does not outline the facts of Jesus' life and end. But the concentration at this point is not on the male child but on the woman's fate. We are not dealing here with theological niceties but with vivid symbolism, dealt with as succintly as possible. The monster waiting to devour the man-child did finally fail in his purpose. He thought he would succeed, but he was wrong. At the very moment when he thought he had achieved his aim he was made aware of his mistake. The Son was taken up to the throne of His Father. So did Jesus in His manhood escape from his evil purposes to His final triumph.
Furthermore it is Jesus Christ who is depicted as the One ‘Who will break the nations with a rod of iron'. In Psalms 2 this idea is expressed of the Messiah and there in the context of ‘yet have I set my king on my holy hill of Zion'. This latter was fulfilled when Jesus was caught up into heaven and to His Father's throne in the heavenly Jerusalem. Thus this is what John depicts. This last in itself confirms that He had defeated the power of evil and made a show of them, for His place on the throne demonstrated that He had taken authority and had begun to reign over all things. It also demonstrates that in the first analysis only He could be the male child.
But the early church and the epistles saw a further glorious truth. When Christ died, His people died with Him, when Christ rose, His people rose with Him, when Christ ascended into Heaven, His people ascended with Him. When Christ was seated on His throne far above all, His people sat with Him (Ephesians 1:19 to Ephesians 2:7 compare Colossians 3:1; Colossians 2:12-13). This important teaching must not be overlooked. To the early church it was part of their experience and belief. (Compare on Revelation 20:3 onwards). So in this passage we see the triumph of the people of God already made certain in Christ. Because of this they are untouchable.
Thus the man child is also secondarily the people of God, for the overcomer is promised that he too will rule the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:27). This compares with the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42; Isaiah 45; Isaiah 50; Isaiah 53) who is primarily Christ, as Luke especially makes clear, but is secondarily also His church (Acts 13:47). Satan will seek to destroy the church as well (Revelation 12:17), but he cannot for they are safe in Christ. The church too will later be caught up to God at the rapture when Christ comes. But that is simply the final fulfilment of God's purposes in physical form. In a real sense this has already taken place for they were caught up when Christ was caught up. They were raised with Him far above all and share His triumph (Ephesians 2:6).
An attempt is sometimes made to relate the male child directly to the church and not to Christ at all. But no overcomer is to be borne up to God's throne directly. Rather he shares Christ's throne with Him and the difference in the two is made crystal clear elsewhere in Revelation (Revelation 3:21). The overcomer has this promise to ‘rule' the nations precisely because he is in Christ and shares His throne, and not by any intrinsic right of his own. His authority is secondary. It is Jesus Christ who has the primary authority because He shares His Father's throne. The promise in Revelation 2:27 is an assurance that the overcomer will be set above those who have previously persecuted him, but it does not make him the primary ruler of the nations. That is only true of Jesus Christ.
But why does John not fill out the picture a little more? Almost certainly, because he does not want to take the readers attention away from the woman. It is her career that is his interest at this point. Thus he puts as succintly as possible the triumph of Jesus. The atonement has already been sufficiently presented (Revelation 5:6; Revelation 7:14). The Lamb and what He has accomplished has been clearly revealed there. He therefore limits his description to the final fact that the man-child, who will rule the nations with a rod of iron, has been raised to God's throne for this very purpose. His readers automatically know that this One Who is borne up to God has been depicted as the slain Lamb.
The picture is very vivid. The monster waiting to devour the child, making his attempts knowing that all depends on it, and failing, for the child is taken from his empty grasp before his eyes and ascends to the throne, followed by his determination to destroy the woman and prevent the fulfilment of God's purposes. Thwarted and defeated by the cross and the resurrection he determines to cause as much damage as possible.
‘Was caught up'. The verb can mean simply ‘borne away unresistingly'. Thus it is used in Acts 8:39 of Philip being taken away by the Spirit having spoken with the Ethiopian eunuch and in 2 Corinthians 12:2 of Paul being taken up to the third heaven. It carries no special significance of urgency. It simply describes what happens as being the action of God from the throne.